A Firkin is an old English unit of volume. The name is derived from the Middle Dutch word vierdekijn, which means fourth, i.e. a fourth of a full-size barrel.
For beer and ale a firkin is equal to nine imperialgallons or a quarter of a barrel (40.91481 litres). Casks in this size (themselves called firkins) are the most common container for cask ale.
For wine the firkin had a larger size, namely a third of a tun. A tun being 210 gallons in the UK and 252 fluid gallons in the US, thus a wine firkin is about 318 L (318.226 or 317.975). It is also called tertian or, preferably, puncheon (in the US also shortened to pon).
Butter and soap used to be sold by the firkin, too. In these cases it was rather a measure of mass, 56 lb (25.4 kg) and 64 lb (29.0 kg) respectively.
The term firkin is currently used to refer to antique wooden buckets, usually with wood handle and lid, about 10 inches (250 mm) high and 10 inches in diameter (about 10L or 2-3 dry gallons in capacity), formerly used to store sugar and other items.
Next up is the Firkin Group of pubs (beware, annoying sound begins playing as soon as you visit the site). Yes it's a play on words, but given the definition above, it's obviously a play on several levels. The WFCU and Firkin should have done a better job of explaining their concept to arena patrons from the start, especially given the young age groups likely to use the arena. On the other hand, Mr. Helbich and other parent's now have a great teaching opportunity to expand their children's knowledge of what a firkin really is.
I actually think this is a good initiative and good value for taxpayers. The videos will not cost the City anything due to sponsorships by the participating businesses. I couldn't help but laugh though, when I read the following:
City hires N.Y. firm to produce promotional videos
When asked why the city chose an outside company, Rodgers said the U.S. firm possesses “unique” technology. “They’re unique in that they told us they have online video technology that is viewable regardless of which web browser or software you use,” she said. “No other company can provide this technology.”
The company did hire a local videographer, Rodgers added. “We were happy when they hired someone locally to shoot all these videos,”
The videos will be available via links on the city’s website starting early next year, says Rodgers. So far, the city has ordered 10 videos while 66 local businesses have signed on to the campaign, she says.
The city will not incur any costs for its videos, which will be financed through the “sponsorships” of the participating businesses, says Rodgers.
Uhmm...can you say YouTube or Google Video? It was good enough for Barack Obama, why not anyone else?
This is my video section on the WE Speak website. Cost? Zero. The content was created by me and the hosting is provided by YouTube. My only cost is the actual hosting for WE Speak, about $5.00 per month. Here's another example from Alan Halberstadt's section on WE Speak. It's a Windsor Essex Environment Committee Public Service announcement that I converted from a DVD and then uploaded to YouTube. Alan has posted the whole series of videos on his site over the last year or so. Cost? A couple of hours of my time to convert and then upload the videos.
Especially in these tough economic times, we need to be able to look outside of the box and begin leveraging tools and technology that are available for little or no cost.
Update: (cue the loud applause) RCMP to fight organized crime with Wikipedia
No expensive new software system designed from the ground up. No mulit-million (billion?) dollar computer systems required. Leverage some robust open-source software combined with current infrastructure to deliver a modern product, quicker, cheaper and with greater accuracy.
5. I've got an idea for what we can do with some of that money that's no longer needed for the Detroit Grand Prix. Give the rest to Festival Epicure so they can run a weekend long local Iron Chef competition with a big-name judge and a possible Food Network filming.
6. Gord Henderson: Greenlink honoured with super-secret yet to be named award. Chris Schnurr - “We ask that you keep the information about your awards confidential until ACEC New York issues it’s press release at the end of March.”That worked well.
Congratulations to my friend Steve on the successful launch of Biscuits and Gravy
"Windsor's newest restaurant, opening soon open now in the heart of downtown at 322 Pelissier Street, near the corner of University West.
Some of our standard fare will include southern fried chicken, gumbo, baked mac and cheese, catfish, and of course the aforementioned biscuits and gravy.
We will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast/Lunch
Monday to Friday - 7 AM to 2 PM
Saturday and Sunday - 9 AM to 2 PM
Dinner
Tuesday to Saturday - 5 PM to 10 PM
Also opening soon is the Tecumseh Roadhouse - December 18th. Located at 10672 County Rd 42 (Google Maps shows it as 10814 Division Rd, Tecumseh), the Tecumseh Roadhouse is Mark Boscariol's latest venture.
If the 86% increase was so urgently required two years ago, why have we failed to spend the appropriate amount each year in infrastructure upgrades and replacements? We were told over and over again by the Mayor and Councillor Lewenza that our water system was in a state of virtual collapse and without these funds there would be dire consequences.
Where has this money gone? We are now heading into the third year in a row of spending far less than what was recommended. Shouldn't the warnings be even louder now than what they were two years ago? Should local retailers begin stocking up on rubber boots to prepare for the imminent collapse?
If we haven't spent it, has it been transferred to reserves for future use?
Last year it was the Province's fault for WUC not being able to complete required work, now we're being told that falling revenues are at fault. Nothing to do with the recent contract settlement. Nothing to do with the "dividend" paid to the City each year. Next year the excuse will probably be a shortage of materials due to all the infrastructure spending.
I know I have the dividend info somewhere, but if someone knows what it is, please feel free to post the details in the comments. I'm interested in what the WUC dividend to the City was in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Note: Anyone else find it strange that with the majority of our water bills consisting of fixed rate charges and levys that declining revenues can have such a dramatic impact on the budget?
If the 86% increase really was required to fix our infrastructure, then it should be spent on that. There should be no dividend paid to the City of Windsor, because all it really is in this case is a back-door tax increase.
Fiddling as Rome burns
Francis, who believes people lose their grasp of what really matters when they spend too much time in the halls of government, away from the real world, has one snarky bit of advice for distracted politicians: "Get your act together."
One has to wonder if politicians in Windsor ever read their own quotes.The one above beats anything else out there right now, even the "under-budget" arena love fest occuring right now, although the "due diligence" audit of the 400 building comes a close second. (Have we officially reached the point yet where the audit of the building has taken longer than the actually construction?)
The Mayor's letters to the Province, the Federal government and Henderson's accompanying editorial are nothing more than the mindless pablum that politicians think people expect them to churn out.
Politicians at every level bemoan dropping voting rates while refusing to look in the mirror for root causes. Bonus:Life on Tour's Don McArthurwith the info citizens really need as opposed to what they normally get.
Voting has now ended for the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards. All that's left is the tallying and the partying! The first awards should be announced in two days time. The award organizers are planning on announcing four awards a day until they are all given out.
First Round voting in the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards is complete. Windsor Eats has completely and utterly dominated Scale Down in this years preliminary round. Despite vague references to "handing" Windsor Eats something this year, Scale Down, although an excellent blog, has been shut out of the final Awards
All kidding aside, Windsor Blogs have again done very well in the first round of voting in the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards.
Below are the Windsor blogs remainining in the final round. Voting begins today, November 30th and runs till December 6th.
We are very pleased to announce the implementation of a new emergency notification system, called UWindsorAlert, which will enable fast and efficient dissemination of critical information to members of the University community during a major emergency. The Virginia Tech tragedy and other events nationwide have demonstrated how vitally important it is for us to have an emergency notification system that can reach people wherever they are located.
UWindsorAlert will allow the University to send simultaneous alerts in minutes through text messaging, voicemail and email to numerous devices, such as cell phones, landline phones, fax machines and PDAs. It provides our students, staff and faculty with an additional layer of security and protection in emergency response, in conjunction with our already well-established emergency communication methods, such as University-wide broadcast emails, online updates via the UWindsor homepage, coordinated use of public media outlets, and public address systems.
The effectiveness of this notification system depends upon individuals providing accurate and up-to-date personal contact information. We urge you to partner with the University in registering your cell phone number, as well as other emergency contact information, so that University officials can communicate with you wherever you happen to be.
As we've pointed out, the Brighton Beach industrial area -- the city's preferred site for a new jail --is more practical in terms of being closer to the police station and courthouse than the Walker Road site and that would trim transportation costs.
Windsor police support the west side option. Barry Horrobin, director of planning and physical resources, says "operationally, the Brighton Beach site is a superior site."
The site near 401 would increase prisoner transportation costs by $88,000 to $185,000 a year, according to a study prepared by Horrobin. A Brighton Beach location would increase the costs by $23,000 to $57,000. The city is responsible for the transportation costs so they should be a significant factor in the site selection.
Using the figures quoted above, the difference in costs between the Brighton Beach location and Walker Road are between $65,000 to $128,000 per year. As I blogged yesterday, the Province is committed to begin uploading transportation costs in the beginning of 2012 (if the Windsor Star can be believed) while the jail, which has yet to have a shovel in the ground, is projected to open in the fall of 2012. Given the propensity for Government projects to run overtime and over-budget I would guess the real opening date is probably early 2013. Either way, the Province will have already begun uploading costs related to transportation for a minimum of eight or nine months. This should be a simple matter for the City to negotiate with the Province to ensure that uploading costs are adjusted to reflect the new jail location.
The new 315 bed jail is to be a regional facility. The Walker Road site represents a fairly central location for all surrounding jurisdicitions instead of simply focusing on Windsor's wants and needs.
One thing no one wants to mention is that the City is desperate to off-load the Brighton Beach lands, assembled for industrial development by the City at great expense. I believe the power plant is the only new industrial that has moved into Brighton Beach since it was made available (I'm not sure if the Nemak plant was there before or after). I think Vista Print was the last company to seriously look at the lands as a potential location. They took a pass and located in Lakeshore instead. In addition, with Brighton Beach slated to be the landing site for the new bridge, the Federal government will most likely be using a significant portion of available lands there for the bridge and associated customs areas.
I agree with the Editorial that the Province should be making a better effort at engaging the community but engagement is a two-way process. The City began it's side of the engagement by lobbing everything they could lay their hands on at the Province. While this makes good press it does nothing to encourage the Province to be more forthcoming. At this point the Province has strapped on their helmets and hunkered down in the bunker to wait out the storm. Can't say I blame them.
Of throwing bricks where ideas would be welcome. The Province is so used to Windsor's temper tantrums now that they really don't care any more. They don't even attempt to appease the City because they know it's not worth the time and effort.
New Jail Coveted
Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis appeared to call the province's bluff during a break in a meeting Tuesday of the Windsor Police Services Board, which he chairs.
"If the jail goes to Chatham, we will not cover the cost of prisoner transport -- simple," he told reporters.
A bold challenge by Windsor's Mayor indeed,especially since the Province has revealed that they will be uploading the costs of prisoner transportation beginning in 2012.
"Construction of the South West Detention Centre should start in mid-2010. Phased-in occupancy of the facility will begin by the fall of 2012, while Windsor Jail is expected to close by the end of 2013."
Upload aids city budget Another significant part of Friday's announcement was Queen's Park also agreeing to take over court security costs and prisoner transportation costs starting in 2012.
Again, the savings for cities such as Windsor will be gradually rolled out until fully taken over by the province in 2018.
In 2008, Windsor will pay $1.2 million in court security costs and another $1 million in prisoner transportation costs.
"Any cost decrease here is a true savings for us," Colucci said.
Not to be outdone, Police Chief Gary Smith wades in with his own little bit of mis-direction:
Police chief Gary Smith said his main concern is the cost of transferring prisoners to and from the local courts.
He said prisoner vans would need to negotiate about 15 traffic lights through busy streets from the site off Walker Road compared to the "two or three" lights that would need to be negotiated were the jail built in Brighton Beach.
I'd be fascinated to see a map of the route from Brighton Beach to the Courthouse that only includes "two or three" traffic lights. On the other hand, considering the Windsor Police aversion to actually stopping at traffic lights, I guess the Chief may be referring to the two or three lights the Police would actually have to stop at without turning on their lights.
If the City does face increased transportation costs in the time between the Province beginning uploading and when things are fully funded, they should be negotiating for the Province to cover the difference in the interim. Along with the new jail, the City should be investigating utilizing new technology to reduce the need for transportation. Video conferencing and other communications technologies should be expanded so that attendance at court by prisoners is reduced to an absolute minimum. Pick a potential route from the new jail site to the current courthouse and lobby the Province for road improvements along that route to facilitate better traffic flows. Negotiate increased transportation funds to expand bus service to the new commercial area where the jail will be built. Instead of throwing bricks and insults, how about a few ideas for a change.
Unfortunately the City's most likely course of action will be continued posturing, a refusal to re-zone the site and threat of a lawsuit. Because that's worked so well for us in the past.
(The wfcu-centre.com address listed in the press release below redirects to a City of Windsor web page which then gives you the link to purchase tickets on another site. Kind of convoluted. One-click, direct access should be contemplated)
Global Announces Great Big Sea
GREAT BIG SEA
and SPIRIT OF THE WEST
IT’S A ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY WITH CANADIAN CELTIC LEGENDS AT THE WFCU CENTRE!
TUESDAY MARCH 17th, 2009 - WFCU CENTRE – WINDSOR
Doors: 7:00 PM Show: 8:00 PM
Tickets on sale Friday, November 28th, 2008 @ 10:00AM
Charge by phone at 1-866-969-WFCU. Order online at wfcu-centre.com.
Forged from the loins of Figgy Duff and Ryan’s Fancy, Great Big Sea found its feet on the unforgiving streets of St. John’s, and stood their ground when others faltered. When asked about their unlikely success, founding member Bob Hallett is typically candid: “We weren’t the best musicians in town,” he says, “we just wanted it more. We were driven by a bloody-minded need to succeed and we were rewarded for our bleeding.”
The band dragged themselves out of the city’s infamous bars to release their Warner debut Up in the spring of 1995. Relentless touring and a raucous live show quickly propelled the record to platinum. Their next effort Play enjoyed even bigger success and the band moved its show into hockey stadiums across the nation.
The US labels took notice and GBS was subsequently signed to Sire by Seymour Stein (Madonna/Talking Heads), who unleashed the band on an unsuspecting American public. Accolades and a solid cult following ensued. “We are showmen and we live and die by our trade,” offers electrified lead singer Alan Doyle. “I am drawn to the light and I was born to burn”.
Born and raised in ‘the far east of the western world,’ the lads have traversed the globe, all the while wearing their hometown on their sleeves. “Our music is of Newfoundland,” explains McCann. “It would be impossible to do what we do if we were from anywhere else. Our songs come from the sea and the cliffs and the rocks and all the other natural beauties our country provides. Without her we simply couldn’t exist.”
For this, their ninth album, the band made the surprise choice to work with indie gadfly Hawksley Workman. “We wanted to push ourselves, to be surprised by our own music,” said Hallett, “and Hawksley was the right pilot for the flight…or the fight, depending on the circumstances.”
A remarkable 15 years in, the band should by this time be content to slow down and rest on their laurels. Instead, Fortune’s Favour, Great Big Sea’s 9th studio album that was recently released in June 2008, sees them boldly embracing new sounds and new ideas, fearlessly pushing the boundaries of their own art and music. In their lifelong quest to marry the traditional music of Newfoundland with their own pop explorations; Fortune’s Favour is a new benchmark.
Don’t miss Great Big Sea at the WFCU Centre in Windsor on March 17th!
Global Spectrum (global-spectrum.com) is the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 70 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, a regional sports programming network, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, and Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.
Contact: Jason Toner
(
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)
519-974-7979 ext. 4610
The nominations are now closed for the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards. Voting begins Sunday, November 23rd and runs for one week. The top five blogs in each category will move on to the final round of voting. Windsor blogs are well represented across most of the categories, showcasing the diversity of offerings available in this area. Below is the list of Windsor blogs nominated. Best luck to all!
The following was taken from The Watchdog, an e-newsletter produced by Provincial Ombudsman Andre Marin:
Long-term care investigation: 200+ complaints and counting
On July 16, 2008, the Ombudsman launched an investigation into the province’s monitoring of nursing homes and long-term care facilities. More than 200 complaints have come in since the investigation was announced, and more are welcome. The investigation was prompted by increasing public complaints about the quality of care as well as media reports indicating that a significant number of long-term care facilities were not meeting provincial standards. The Ombudsman’s investigation is looking at how the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care monitors the facilities and the effectiveness of the standards themselves. The Special Ombudsman Response Team has been gathering evidence for its report due out in about six months. It’s not too late to make your voice heard. Complaints about longterm care and/or the province’s monitoring system can be made by phone at 1-800-263-1830, mail, fax, or by visiting us online at www.ombudsman.on.ca.
I don't think anyone who follows Municipal Politics would be surprised that Ontario's Ombudsman Andre Marin has chose to release his Sunshine Law Handbook in Sarnia and not in Windsor. [Download the Sunshine Law Handbook] Since the legislation's implementation, the Ombudsman has completed hundreds of investigations and issued two reports on Sudbury and Fort Erie.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Ombudsman to launch guide to province’s Sunshine Law on Monday
(TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2008) – Ontario Ombudsman André Marin will officially present his office’s new publication, The Sunshine Law Handbook , to Mayor Mike Bradley of Sarnia on Monday, Nov. 17. The presentation marks the release of the Handbook – the first public guide to the province’s new system of enforcing open meetings in all municipalities.
As of January 2008, the Municipal Act allows members of the public to complain about municipal meetings that are improperly held behind closed doors. The Ombudsman investigates these complaints in all municipalities that have not appointed their own investigator – about 200 across the province. To date, the Ombudsman has handled about 100 complaints about closed meetings and published two investigative reports.
The Ombudsman is sending The Sunshine Law Handbook free of charge to every mayor and councillor in Ontario’s 445 municipalities, and it is available to the public from the Ombudsman’s office or online at www.ombudsman.on.ca. It contains excerpts from relevant legislation, tips for councillors and complainants, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Mayor Bradley has been a strong supporter of “sunshine” legislation and government transparency for many years. He and Mr. Marin will be available to discuss this topic on Monday, Nov. 17, after 1 p.m.
For more information or to arrange interviews with the Ombudsman and/or Mayor Bradley, please contact:
Linda Williamson
Director of Communications
Tel: 416-586-3426
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or
Patricia Tomasi
Communications Officer
Tel: 416-586-3402
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City Council Seeks Applicants for Committee
City Council is seeking applications from interested citizens to sit on a Multi-residential Taxpayer Advisory Committee. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on November 27. Download the complete application.
The Windsor Star's resident guest Liberal columnist, Llyod Brown-John forgets one minor detail in his column today, another in the long line of attacks on the current Conservative government. It was Windsor's own Paul Martin as Finance Minister who slashed transfer payments to the Provinces by 40 % during Mike Harris' tenure as Premier. How about one of the largest tax increases (Health Levy indeed) in Ontario history or the rampant increase in government spending during McGuinty's time as Premier?His expansion of the Ontario civil service has outpaced private hiring by more than two to one. Minor points when you write with rose coloured glasses.
On equalization, this Calgary Herald editorial offers some reasonable suggestions for beginning much needed reforms of the equalization system. Have Provinces shouldn't be supporting subsidized daycare in Quebec or below market utitlies in Manitoba, two examples cited in the editorial. The process will involve much hand wringing, kicking and screaming from the current crop of have-not Province, but this should not deter the government from beginning. If Canada truly aspires to be stable and competitive in the future, this is the single biggest issue that must be addressed.
Update: for some much needed balance on this issue, check out Angelo Persichilli's piece in the Toronto Star:
David MacKinnon, former president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, in a speech at the Empire Club in Toronto last February titled Killing the Golden Goose, spoke at length about "the damage regional transfers are doing to Ontario." Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have a total of 40 hospitals to serve a population of 1 million. The city of Vaughan, with 300,000 people, has no hospitals. In Ontario, we have 81 workers employed in the public sector per 1,000 people. In Quebec, it is 92 (not to mention 105 in Newfoundland and 117 in Manitoba). We pay twice and get less service.
Harper now seems to be more receptive toward Ontario's grievances, and I hope that Queen's Park will seize the moment and build a special relationship with his government.
Some free advice for the Windsor Star - get rid of the company handling your electronic subscriptions. A while ago my one year electronic subscription to the Star expired. When I logged on to renew, the only option provided for me was a further one year subscription. The options for daily, monthly or six months were grayed out. As my situation may possibly change in the next year, necessitating a move, I did not wish to purcharse a one year subscription. After several emails I finally recieved word that I could log in and choose the subscription I wished. When I logged in, the daily, one month and one year options were greyed out, with six months now being the only choice. My email had been quite clear in asking to have all subscription options provided. End result? I chose none.
While I enjoyed the look and feel of the electronic version, and it's availability at 4:00 am, I now find that I can do without it. The online version is now also available most mornings by 4:00 am and the only real difference is not always having the accompanying photos. Discretionary spending is going to become an oft reviewed item in many households in the near future. Given the recent news about CanWest's difficulties in the current economic situation and the long term changes facing printed news, this is certainly not a situation that the paper wants repeated very often.
Good news, bad news on the blog front at the Star.
Good News - As I mentioned Friday, Dalson Chen and Ted Whipp have returned to blogging.
One link I stumbled across for reading Star blogs is this one. Instead of taking you to the blog landing page, forcing a reader to drill down several levels to access the various blogs to check for new posts, this page gives you the latest posts in order, as they're published. A distinct improvement (unless you follow the blogs on WE Speak)!
Another improvement I noticed recently was including blog posts in the "Latest News" category at the top of the website. This is a smart move that will help improve blog exposure.
Bad News - the Star blogs continue to be a hit and miss sort of thing. There is no real regularity to posts across most of them. I'm not sure if this is a contractual issue or not, but it definitely hurts the ability of the blogs to build a regular readership. In the shifting world of media advertising, regular readership also translates into additional advertising revenue.
The absence of a blog reporting on local issues is a sore point among many. We've had two short-lived attempts and then silence. When you look at some of the offerings by other CanWest papers, it's puzzling to understand the reluctance by the Star to focus on their own community. Ottawa Citizen - The Public Citizen and Greater Ottawa, are two fantastic examples. 59 Carden St. at TorStar's Guelph Mercury is another excellent example.
/rant off
3. Canadian Blog Award nominations are open until the 22nd of November. Note: please check to see if a blog has already been nominated before posting in any section.
"There needs to be full disclosure," Ward 4 Coun. Bill Marra said Thursday. "All people are asking for - and I heard this at the public meetings - is they want to see the information that was used that allowed them to conclude this to be the preferred location."
For some reason, the phrase "lead by example" jumps to mind.
It's that time of year again. The nominations are now open for the 2008 Canadian Blog Awards. I've already submitted several WE Speak blogs for this year's version. The categories have changed for 2008. Several have been dropped and a couple of new ones have been added.
Good news - WE Speak and all my other sites have been or are in the process of being moved from a dual P4 server with 2 GB ram to a dual quad core server with 12GB of ram. End result should be faster load times and better overall performance. Bad news - the move hasn't been without it's issues. Hopefully everything will be resolved later this afternoon. There are some nagging mysql problems that are occuring. One of the results is that the cron job that runs every half hour to pull content from blogs isn't functioning. I did a manual import this morning and will do another one later today.
Good News - with the political silly season ended (for now), I'll soon have more time to dedicate to WE Speak and blogging. I guess some people might consider that in the bad news category as well! Oh well.
Despite the whining, Denise managed what you predicted could only be accomplished by an "organizational miracle".
A class act that has only just begun. I've been proud to work with Denise over the last 37 days and look forward to the future. To all the volunteers on the campign I offer my thanks. You've made a difficult endeavour a worthwhile experience. Your enthusiasim, work ethic and sacrifice are inspiring.
Federal issues have been rather distracting over the last while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention, especially on the local level.
Only in Windsor could an audit of the construction of a building take longer to complete and release to the public than the actual construction of the building.
Commenter ms. had a good point on my blog about Mayor Francis' last minute, sole-sourced Windsor Star adverstising contract:
Taxpayers should be offended. There are other media outlets tnan the Star in town, all owned by local business people who should have had an opportunity to compete in the process.
In today's economic environment, I'm sure there are one or two other publishers and printers in Windsor who would have relished the opportunity to bid on a contract with the value of $200,000 thousand dollars. While the Windsor Star has donated to the W.E. Can campaign, should this donation allow them exclusive advertising rights for any and all future W.E. Can initiatives?
Just what will it take to encourage that motley collection of sheep loosely referred to as Councillors to actually grow a spine and stand up to the Mayor?
Yet again we have a secret initiative started by the Mayor back in June and sprung on Council at the last minute. The Mayor continues to run circles around Council and they let him do it. At least there were four votes against the proposal for a change instead of the usual 9 to 1 vote. Maybe there's some hope, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.
One of these days, probably as the next election draws near, Council will finally realize that 10 is greater than one. The problem is, by then it will be too late.
I always forget to blog about this beforehand. August's Windsor bloggers meet is tonight at the Gourmet Emporium, 1799 Wyandotte St. E (at Chilver), anytime around 9pm should do.
If you've never been to the Gourmet Emporium, it's worth attending this evening. This is a beautiful establishment in the heart of Walkerville.
The Erie St. Races are looking for volunteers for this weekend. Students requiring volunteer hours are welcome.
Anyone interested in volunteering can contact James at
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or phone 519-817-3423.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Tour di Via Italia. If you're available, please consider supporting a fantastic Windsor event.
Even though this is a preliminary study, before we start ripping up rail lines, this study should be considered together with a regional transportation plan.
The VIA line from Belle River into Windsor would be perfectly suited for a light rail system. If you throw in the Essex Terminal Railway lines out to Amherstburg, this area has the infrastructure already in place. To rip it up now, before all options are considered, would be a real waste.
The new Windsor Crossing planned for completion in 2013 couldn’t happen at a better time for the city, considering the current woes of Windsor’s auto manufacturing sector.
But while the big cable-stayed bridge and associated highway approaches could shift into gear possibly next year, one of the big unanswered questions is how it will be tendered and financed. The province has assembled a team of engineers called Windsor BIG (Border Initiatives Implementation Group) to deal with the execution of issues such as drawings, financing and tendering.
“We’ve heard that there may be some kind of P3 public/private partnership for the tender of the plaza and the bridge,” says Jim Lyons, executive director of the Heavy Construction Association (HCA) of Windsor.
That’s not surprising, but Lyons isn’t sure that approach (also known as Alternative Financing and Procurement) is such a good idea for the balance of the work, which primarily consists of the Windsor-Essex Parkway.
HCA members favour a traditional tendering approach, he says. Their concern is that an AFP package won’t “lure” as many local and provincial contractors to bid on the project.
With all the recent stories and hyberbole about the Library board and it's actions or inactions, I thought it would be worthwhile to post the actual press release they put out yesterday. I contacted Councillor Halberstadt and he provided me with a copy.
PS. bloggers should check out Scribd.com, the service I used to publish these documents. It's free and dead-bang easy to use.
I was talking with the owner Sam when he said - "Hey - it's the Fonz!". I thought he was joking or simply referring to a customer with that nickname. When I turned around it was actually Henry Winkler. He replied - "Yes I am". A very nice, quiet and personable guy.
I met him in Guelph almost thirty years ago when he was filming An American Christmas Carol. He was cool then and still is today.
Why didn't the Mayor have the same reaction about the revolving door at the Windsor Development Commission?Four different commissioners in five years. "Asked for his opinion, Mayor Eddie Francis said the WEDC is an independent body, and it's board of directors is responsible for it's oversight."
The Mayor speaks about his concern over Bell's education entitlement negotiated in his contract. None of the current library board was involved in negotiating that contract. Why doesn't he speak to the Councillors on the board when that contract was negotiated - Councillor Postma - anything to say?
We cut the cheque for a lot of agencies and boards in this city, what has the Mayor been doing to provide answers? The Library board is chump change compared to some of the money involved at other places. How long is the Mayor and administration going to continue stalling Councillor Halberstadt's request for budget information from the Windsor Police Services, already over a year old. The Mayor has orchestrated organizational changes at the Windsor Airport, Development Commission, Tunnel Commision and Convention and Visitors Bureau, converting all of these to arms-length corporations shielded from taxpayer scrutiny. Remeber Councillor Dilken's motion to automatically have the minutes from these corporations sent to Councillors? Shot down by the sheep we call a City Council.
We are currently spending over a million dollars on secret negotiations for a tunnel that's a declining asset and the Mayor is concerned about the Library board?Somehow, I don't think it's the tax dollars involved in this Library board decison that has the Mayor being "livid".
Spare the faux outrage for someone who might actually believe it.
It's easy to take potshots from the sidelines, be it through a column, a blog or an unsigned e-mail. Believe me, any goof can do it. But to stand alone against the most sacred of sacred cows, over a point of principle, now that takes spinal fortitude.
It is rather funny though, that Brister get's "spinal fortitude" while Halberstadt gets "blind mice" or playing a "dangerous game".
Today's Windsor Star Editorial is very wrong. Unless Windsor and other municipalities contiune to stand up to the Province, this "soft" downloading will continue. How many people think it's ok to get an MRI for a community only after that community has raised enough money to purchase one. The Province will pay for operating costs, but not purchase. What's wrong with the picture when Hospice and Cancer care infrastructure is provided by generous community fundraising instead of Provincial funds. Why are we paying a Provincial Health Care Tax Premium every year? Until City Councillors take a consistent stand against this kind of soft downloading, the Province will continue to take advantage of it. Dalton McGuinty continues to hire thousands of six-figure bureaucrats each year while the average taxpayer suffers.
In the July 25 program of On The Media, they discussed reader feedback/soundoffs/comments and whether they contribute anything to the news organization's web site.
It was a great discussion because we often talk about our standards here on soundoffs. We have decided to implement some stricter controls, which I'll go into in a minute.
Anyway, the point was this radio show yanked the ability for listeners to comment on stories because they had become a bit too rude and inconsiderate.
It was a relief to know that most newspapers, magazines and other media sites get mostly negative reader feedback. We here at The Windsor Star thought we were the only ones cursed with such negative readers. But alas it's a worldwide problem.
Anyway the radio show took down the comment privilege because the writings had become too insensitive and nasty. To say some readers are uncivilized is an understatement.
Here at The Windsor Star we've had several instances come up that's prompted us to think about what we want to do with soundoffs.
As someone with healthy liberatrian leanings, I'm all in favour of free speech, but that free speech doesn't give you the right to go on someone else's site and spew garbage. If you want to do that, start your own blog so we can all promptly ignore you.
PS. posting will remain rather sparse here for a little while longer. It's not like I don't have anything to say, but there's a By-Election going on and it's keeping me rather busy. Lots of (good) changes coming on the home and work fronts soon. If everything goes as planned I should be back on the shadow after September 8th.
At this point you can mark me as cautiously optimistic on the position of the Windsor Auditor General. Congratulations to the Audit Commitee for moving forward with this. By no means am I convinced that we'll see this position up and running anytime soon, but progress is being made.
Hopefully I can help the decision makers in one regard. If Max Zalev decides that he really must be part of the selection committee, I'll file the Conflict of Interest complaint myself. The fact that he's even the Audit Chair now stretches the bounds of credibility, but is not necessarily surprising if you actually start looking at the names on the city's various boards and "arms length" organizations. Although it might not sound appropriate, incestuous is the first term that comes to mind.
On an unrelated note, I wanted to make a quick comment on the suggestion floated yesterday, to bolster the Canal plan, that the Windsor Port Authority members have some sway with the current Conservative government regarding the project. I thought it was so funny I cancelled my tickets for Martin Short's upcoming perfomance at the Casino. A man can only handle so much comedy in one month.
I see that the Windsor Cheerleader (TM) is waving his pom poms again. A feasibility study funded by the private sector? Great.
The continued political posturing of the Mayor using the Windsor Cheerleader (TM) and others? Go blow.
Here's an idea. We can save a boatload of money by getting rid of our City Councillors and letting the Mayor rule by decree. They're nothing more than rubber stamps for Eddie's grand legacy anyways. Once that's done the Mayor and the Windsor Cheerleader(TM) can continue their mutal self-gratification society.
Seeing how cash strapped Transit Windsor is these days I thought I'd help them out with their campaign to purchase hybrid buses for Windsor. The Windsor Cheerleader (TM) has already chimed in so I didn't want to get left behind.
My campaign pays appropriate homage to the 1970's, which apparently is the last time any significant changes where made to Transit Windsor before our current saviours came upon the scene.
One of the easiest savings in the upcoming 2009 budget deliberations should be the City of Windsor Legal Department. We might as well be rid of it. Time after time, issue after issue this Mayor and Council continue to hire outside lawyers at considerable cost to provide "expert" advice, which generally means political cover prior to Council making or not making an actual decision.
If the occupants of our current legal department are not experts in things like municipal government or local planning, then the question that has to be asked is why do we have them? If, as I suspect, they are experts in municipal related fields, the question then becomes why do we continue to spend ever increasing amounts of taxpayer funds on outside firms?
If this current Council eliminated all the outside legal advice, consultants, pollsters, marketing firms and actually began receiving advice from the staff that we pay for, Windsorites would stand to save millions of dollars per year. A consistent theme in many emails I receive from City of Windsor employees is the frustration at watching Council waste this money on outside experts when the requisite talent already resides within City Hall.
We pay top dollar for our local civic employees. Let them do their job. Council should demand balanced reports designed to present all sides of an issue instead of advocating a pre-determined position. Armed with this information, Council then needs to make the decisions they were elected to.
Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. As things stand now, it certainly seems like the majority of Council's current occupants have already opted for the "get the hell out of the way" option. Many voters would agree and will be happy to oblige them come November 2010.
Outside aid called for blight backlog
City hires expert to advise on unsightly abandoned property
Sarah Sacheli, Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008
Francis said he approached Makuch, of Toronto law firm Cassels Brock, before writing a report to council recommending his services be enlisted.
"I just said to him, 'Here's the problem.'" In a letter back to the city and included in a report adopted by council in May, Makuch said he would study all municipal and provincial legislation and outline the pros and cons of alternative courses of action.
"The problem is a very interesting and difficult one because planning and property standards bylaws and legislation generally address what uses are permitted and how to ensure buildings are safe when used. The legislations and bylaws do not on their face appear to directed to the problem of non-use and the blight which results," Makuch wrote.
Makuch, whose response is expected this month, is expected to bill the city $50,000 to $75,000.
1. Why is the Mayor announcing this? Isn't Councillor Postma the Chair of Transit Windsor?
2. Why is this being announced now? "Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said with the high cost of fuel and rising greenhouse gas emissions he is optimistic that city council will approve the switch to hybrid for the buses to be delivered in May."
This announcement leaves people with the impression that this is all but a done deal, requiring only Council's rubber stamp. While it's quite possible there is a business case to be made for this decision, where is it? Long term fuel savings are only one aspect. What are the costs to train Transit Windsor's mechanics? What are the cost implications for parts? What is the life-cycle of these buses compared to traditional diesel? Those are just a couple of questions that come to mind. If you read to the end of the press release you can find two of the Mayor's trained seals pitching in with their thoughtful input.
I thought this was the Mayor that doesn't "do politics". The timing and staging of this announcement simply screams politics. At this stage, it's simply a proposal from Transit Windsor that must be approved by Council during budget deliberations. Other than lobbying Council through the media and trying to create public momentum for their project, what other reasons can be given for this non-announcement?
In the past the Mayor has raided Transit Windsor's budget to keep tax increases down in Windsor. Does this represent political payback?
The upcoming set of budget deliberations will probably be one of the most difficult in Windsor's recent history. With inflation set to rise, increased fuel costs and salary pressures nothing should be considered a done deal.
The latest Council Agenda would lead people to believe that Windsor City Council simply hasn't learned it's lesson yet when it comes to communicating with the public. The agenda item related to a Windsor Spitfires lease has no agenda number and is only available on the supplementary agenda.
Item -- Windsor Spitfires Lease of Pro Shop, Training Centre and Auxiliary Community Concession at the WFCU Centre (available on supplementary agenda)
Makes you wonder just what is in the lease that they don't want the public or press to know until the last possible second.
On a related note, I'm looking forward to the next update of Council's "Sunshine" report of in-camera versus public meetings.I think we should rename this the "Bunker Report" for the mentality displayed by this Council of sheep or possibly even the "Stick-It" report as a suggestion for where they can put their "Sunshine".
I popped down to the festival for a couple of hours on Friday night and hope to return Sunday. Huge crowds and great food! Three A Tasting's roasted lamb was outstanding and if you're really adventurous you can sample Teka's Spicy Salty Squid.
I was pleasantly surprised to see large green container recycling bins parked beside every garbage can in the Festival Plaza. This is a significant improvement over previous festivals this year. Great work to whoever made this happen.
Some excellent advice for charities, non-profits and other organizations. Ignoring social media and all the tools that come with it is to restrict your message and outreach.
Right now I'm digging the Broadway musical Passing Strange, the Neo-HooDoo contemporary art show at the Menil Collection, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool CD, and the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Festival starting July 15 in Washington, D.C.
Calling or e-mailing each friend about the stuff I like, however, is not efficient.
I grew up in Houston, went to school in the Boston and Chicago areas, lived and worked in North Carolina, traveled internationally and maintain friendships with people from all those times in my life even though they live all over the globe.
Phone numbers and e-mail addresses change too often to exclusively use old-school communication.
So I have a Facebook page that connects me to 190 (and counting) friends, colleagues and family members.
On that page, I post what's interesting to me and news alerts are sent to all my people letting them know I want them to check out something.
It works great when the people, nonprofits and companies producing the stuff I like have up-to-date technology on their Web sites that allow fans to easily post information and photos to their Facebook pages.
But too often that technology — RSS formatted feeds — is nowhere to be found, especially on the Web sites of nonprofits.
"This is the time for nonprofits to get into social media while there is not a lot of traffic there," said Monica Danna, a Houston-based blogger and marketing professional. "Early adopters get the most benefit."
A good local example is the Windsor International Film Festival. Their Facebook group now has 673 members. Without the need for cumbersome software or emails lists, WIFF can now quickly and easily contact hundreds of people who have expressed interest in their organization. They can mobilize for outings and events, fundraise and spread their message. Those 673 people represent a possible frontline group of ambassadors, organizers, advertisers or even sponsors.
London, July 4, 2008 - An exciting new initiative this summer aims to cut down on the amount of festival garbage ending up in landfill.
Visitors to Sunfest, the Home County Folk Festival and Ribfest will be introduced to this year's pilot project, which includes an emphasis on reducing, reusing and recycling. All of the three festivals will be featuring "Eco-Stations", specific locations throughout Victoria Park where waste can be separated into three different streams - recycling, organics for composting, and garbage to landfill. Volunteers will be on hand to assist and answer questions.
Also new this year, the City of London is installing three water fountains in Victoria Park to provide free accessible City water and reduce the reliance of festival visitors on single-use plastic water bottles.
“In recent years, we’ve certainly witnessed a heightened concern for our environment emerging around the world, and action begins here at home,” says Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. “As Londoners, we can all ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations by actively reducing our waste - and these new eco-stations provide a great way do that.”
Another idea being tested at the Home County Folk Festival in July is bring-your-own picnic ware, and a dish lending and dishwashing service.
The Greening of the Festivals is a partnership between the City of London, the three major festivals and Waste Free World - a local group of engaged citizens. Along with the goal to introduce waste diversion to these three major London events, is the hope visitors will be encouraged to continue good environmental practices after they return home.
1. The City of Windsor's Press Release on the Detroit Grand Prix listed the City website and the VisitWindsor.ca as locations to visit for more information, unfortunately, the information wasn't there when the City issued the News Release. The City has now placed a link to the "comprehensive event info" where they said they would - in the News Note section on the front page of the City's website. The only problem is, the link for more comprehensive information takes you back to the same press release. I guess that's what they call circular thinking.
At least the City has made some attempt. As of this morning, I could not find any information on the visitwindsor.ca website. Even a search through the event database yielded no results.
2. The relentless march to establish a $220,000.00 dollar (2008 dollars) spin department at City Hall continues. The reasons outlined in the report for justifying this expenditure read more like a failure of the current administration to lead rather than justification for further expanding the bureaucracy. The fact that the City has five different logos in use and can't decide which one should be used by everyone or policies and strategies regarding media inquiries are not consistent across the corporation are several of the reasons listed for at least requiring an immediate appointment of an Executive-Director of Corporate Communications. My guess is that this position will be in the $75,0000.00 to $90,000.00 dollar range. If the City spent half as much time actually addressing the problems identified in the report as they have in studying this, there would be no need for this ridiculous expenditure.
3. When 211 was first approved (March 19th, 2007), administration was directed to negotiate an operating agreement with the County and the United Way of Windsor. Although the resolution authorizes the General Manager Corporate Services and the CAO to sign the agreement on behalf of the City, I have not seen the actual agreement come back before Council for their information. It's possible that it may have been dealt with at an in-camera meeting or that I may have missed it. I'll have to look into this one further.
4. A Letter to the Editor today with yet another example of the City's habit of do as I say, not as I do. While the Windsor Essex Environment Committee considers a 3 bag limit for Windsor, it seems we can't even recycle at our own festivals. Summer Fest had it all, except for recycle bins
There are two things I liked about yesterday's Windsor Star Editorial. First, they're actually encouraging citizens to pressure City Council for a change, although they're still using kid gloves when it comes to the Mayor. Secondly, Councillors Lewenza and Jones have been outed as the chair warmers they are:
Reaching conclusions on the project's success in the absence of all the information, with the knowledge an audit of that project lurks behind closed doors, seems an incredibly irresponsible thing to do. Just because Councillors Ron Jones and Ken Lewenza Jr. have no problem doing it doesn't mean taxpayers should wilfully wear blinders as well. You should demand the release of the draft audit and pressure councillors to do the same.
The audit committee has announced it will hire KPMG to examine the audit to ensure, in the words of committee chairman Max Zalev, that "the work is done properly." Regardless of what KPMG ultimately finds, you paid for that draft audit and you deserve to see it in its original and unedited form. It can be a first chapter and the report from KPMG an additional one.
If there are legal reasons for withholding any information, those reasons need to be specific and explained fully to taxpayers. If the draft audit is indeed incomplete, then its release can be accompanied with a disclaimer and additional documentation outlining any errors, omissions or inconsistencies. But it must be released
The City continues to use questionable accounting practices like including Federal contributions and the future sale of lands in order to try and reduce what they claim is the actual price of the building.
The two maxims of politics are in play here. Follow the money and it's never the actual issue or incident it's the cover-up that inevitably generates controversy.
Lost in all the confusion over the 400 building is the fact that Dunbar also completed other audits prior to his departure, which we still haven't seen. I believe one of them was on the new Huron Lodge.
1.
Congratulations to my friend Steve on the successful launch of 
Windsor Eats Dominates!
Of throwing bricks where ideas would be welcome. The Province is so used to Windsor's temper tantrums now that they really don't care any more. They don't even attempt to appease the City because they know it's not worth the time and effort. 
The following was taken from The Watchdog, an e-newsletter produced by Provincial Ombudsman Andre Marin: 
The Erie St. Races are looking for volunteers for this weekend. Students requiring volunteer hours are welcome. 
There are two things I liked about yesterday's Windsor Star Editorial. First, they're actually encouraging citizens to pressure City Council for a change, although they're still using kid gloves when it comes to the Mayor. Secondly, Councillors Lewenza and Jones have been outed as the chair warmers they are: